Real Bride: Sarah Hanson

Did you see this girls stunning engagement pictures last week? If you thought those were amazing, just wait until you see these absolutely beautiful pictures from her wedding! I had the honor of "meeting" Sarah through this blog and I am so happy I did! I am so proud to be able to call this amazing bride my friend! I hope you all enjoy her beautiful, elegant, rustic wedding pictures as much as I did! Not to mention her wonderful stories from her day and some great advice to all future brides!

Your name: Sarah Hanson

Groom's name: Elijah Hanson

Wedding date: April 30, 2017

City, State: Hampton, GA

Tell us more about you!

How long have you been together?

We started dating February 19, 2016. So we have been together a year and a half in August.

How did he propose? (Or how did you propose!)

He proposed in one of the sweetest ways. We met in Dahlonega, GA through his sister (I was living there for school and stayed up there after graduation because I loved the town). His job brought us down

to Conyers, GA. I didn’t mind moving with him, but he knew how much I missed my little mountain town. So on my birthday (October 7, 2016) he took me up to Dahlonega! We went to the pumpkin patch (he always calls me pumpkin, so it was cute), to the movies, and then back to my old house where my best friend still lived. While we were waiting there for her to get off, we were feeling all nostalgic since that was the house we first met in, so we went to the front porch to talk like we used to do. He looked at me and said, “it feels right to give this to you now” and handed me an envelope with a card in it. I figured it was just a birthday card, but when I opened it up, there were so many sweet words that I didn’t even read because taped in the corner was a ring, and in front of me was my sweet Eli on one knee! It was such a special moment. Just him and I surrounded by the love we have. I will honestly never forget it, and I

could not have imagined a sweeter way for him to pop the question!

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

This is going to sound so cheesy but my favorite part was when I locked eyes with Eli right as I started walking down the aisle. I was a nervous wreck before stepping out of the bridal cottage. I thought I was going to faint, poop and throw up all at the same time, but as soon as I saw him and our eyes met, it all went away. I felt like we were the only two there. It was magical.

What went wrong with your wedding?

Oh, so much! We ran out of time for a first look. The weather was so hot that no one wanted to dance and it caused a lot of the guests to leave early. My hair did not turn out how I would have liked. I did not get pictures with the groomsmen or my brothers. Eli did not get pictures with the bridesmaids.

Did you find any tricks to save you money?

I am a huge sale shopper! I didn’t buy anything that wasn’t on sale! I also asked people who had already gotten married for things they might let me borrow. As much of a bargain shopper as I tried to be, weddings are just expensive.

If you could go back and redo it, would you change anything and what?

The only things I would change would be having the reception inside so that the heat wouldn’t have been a factor, and I would make a photo list for the photographer. Also, I would hire a wedding planner.

Do you have any advice for new brides?

My advice would be to not stress about the little stuff! Even though so much went wrong, I am a married woman and happier than ever!

Another piece of advice is to really try and take in your day. Stop every now and then, look around and realize that all those people are there for you and that’s something amazing. And lastly, hire a wedding planner! That’s the only thing I wish I had. It would have cut my stress level down so much.

Did you over-plan or under-plan or was it just right?

I always over-plan. I do that with everything in my life. It’s a blessing and a curse.

Did any of your vendors knock your socks off?

My caterer was incredible!! I completely forgot to buy plates and serving utensils for the cake. They went to Publix down the road and

got it for me! I had no idea they even did that until days later when my mom told me. I was blown away! Thank goodness I tipped them well!

Another vendor that was amazing was my videographer! He made the whole day so fun, and working with him was a breeze. The thing that impressed me most was that he got my wedding video to me two days after the wedding!
My make-up artist was incredible as well! She made me look like a model!

Did any of your vendors disappoint?

The day of my wedding, all my vendors were incredible! It was after that I ran into some problems getting the pictures from my photo booth.

What was one (or more!) special element in your wedding that isn’t in

most?

I had a candy bar with baby pictures as a back drop, which I thought was really cute and unique! I also had some yard games. My brother handmade and personalized our corn hole boards.

What do you wish you’d spent more on (whether you were able to or not)?

A wedding planner!

Where do you feel like you could have saved money or overspent?

I honestly think that everything I spent money on was worth it and well spent. For example, I handmade programs into fans and it was a huge hit! It was so humid that day and everyone loved them!